New Life Worship Ministries

Meditations on Solomon's Song of Songs by Char Scott

Summary | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Index

Divine Chastisement

by CharScott

Let’s review a bit before we continue our study of the Song of Songs.Last time we left the maiden sitting under the shade tree, desiring to stay in this place of safety and comfort instead of following the Lord as He beckoned her to come with Him on the mountains.She knows that she belongs to Him and that His love is hers, but she is not sure if it is truly safe to follow Him wherever He would lead her.He tries to encourage her by giving her a prophetic picture of the fruitful harvest that will result if she obeys Him, but her fears do not allow her to respond.She understands that He will have to leave, and she tells Him to go on without her.She knows that they will be separated, and He will no longer be there with her, embracing and feeding her with His own hand.

Tonight we will begin in Song of Songs 3:1-5.Let’s read together, “On my bed night after night I sought Him whom my soul loves;I sought Him but did not find Him.I must arise now and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I must seek Him whom my soul loves.I sought Him but did not find Him.The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, and I said, ‘Have you seen Him whom my soul loves?’Scarcely had I left them when I found Him whom my soul loves;I held on to Him and would not let Him go until I had brought Him to my mother’s house and into the room of her who conceived me.‘I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, that you will not arouse or awaken my love until she pleases.’”

Jesus refuses to come to her until she obeys because He loves her too much to leave her bound by fears and insecurities.He will remove everything that hinders her love for Him.He wants to awaken in her a desire to pursue Him at any cost so she can come into full maturity and bridal partnership with Him.He is not angry with her;He is jealous for her.There is a vast difference.His discipline and chastisement is revealed as He removes His manifest presence from her for a time, until she is so hungry for Him that she rises up to seek Him in spite of her fear.

These high places He is calling us to are different at various seasons of our lives.The Holy Spirit usually focuses on only one or two areas in our lives at a time.They are simply the place of risk He is calling us to at that time--in relationships, in ministry, in finances, in new areas of faith or responsibility.It is often a public place where He draws us out of isolation.The cost of obedience is high, but it is less than the cost of disobedience, which means losing the fascination of romance with Jesus.

We also must understand what the Lord means by leaving her.He has said in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”The Lord never leaves us in terms of our salvation, and Henever leaves us in the sense of allowing a sin or pressure to be so great we cannot bear it.The Lord orchestrates the easiest trial that effectively awakens our hearts.Even this “soft” touch can be very difficult on our flesh, but it is designed to awaken the deep places in our hearts.Maturity does not happen because of our noble intentions, but rather it is formed under pressure as our own personal history in God is developed.Remember, the Lord always has an eternal perspective in mind.He is preparing us to be His Bride forever, so His perspective is not limited to our experience on earth.We must trust that “His banner over me is love” even when we do not understand the trial we face.These trials produce love if we respond to Him, and are never more severe than necessary.His desire is always for our good and not for our harm.

In what ways does He leave us?Specifically, He leaves us in the sense of removing our ability to discern, to feel, and to experience His manifest presence.We say, “I don’t feel the Lord like I used to.”It is not that He has actually left us, but our ability to feel His presence is affected.There are several benefits and purposes for this season of withholding. Sometimes He withholds His presence to drive us into an extravagant seeking of His face.The lack of God’s presence is not always a statement of His disapproval or displeasure.It has profitable results in our resolution to know the Lord more intimately.

Another reason is to compel us to a deeper searching of our hearts for hidden faults.Such honest searching helps us to uncover undiscerned issues that might hinder His love.The withholding of His presence also forces us to walk by faith instead of by feeling.This strengthens our ability to trust the unseen and tests the maturity of our faith.These seasons produce greater humility by making us see our own weaknesses and dependence upon God.If we had no experiences without His presence, it could lead to pride.And finally, we realize our dependence on the Holy Spirit as the source of all godly emotion and passion.We realize it truly does take God to love God.We cannot do it apart from Him.

In times of divine discipline, God may reveal His displeasure with a particular area of our lives.This is not the same thing as God’s displeasure with us as a person.He disciplines us, yet has deep affection for us and greatly enjoys us.The discipline is not to reject us.It is to produce more love, more humility, more compassion and sweetness in our spirits.His discipline is often hard for us to understand because it is so different from our experiences with others who correct us.He disciplines us out of affection, not out of rejection.

As we understand the purpose of His discipline, we will embrace and yield to it more quickly.Some try and resist the Lord in these times, but the problem is that He always wins.It is wiser to yield quickly.Because of His great love for us, He will destroy everything in our lives that opposes Him.Our God is a jealous God, and His jealousy is a good thing.His divine affection is like a fire that consumes everything in our lives that keeps us separated from Him.

Throughout our entire journey in this life, we are always, “dark, but lovely.”There will always be ways we are not conformed to the image of Christ, where we fall short of the glory of God.We never reach the place where there is no more need to change.But the Holy Spirit focuses on one or two areas at a time, areas where we are ready to respond to His discipline.He brings us to repentance by the conviction of the Holy Spirit of a particular area of sin or lack.This is all we can do.The Holy Spirit knows what it is time to change, and His conviction is clear and precise.True repentance is not general, but very specific.We know what He is asking us to change.He shows us both the wrong attitude and the way He desires us to respond. It is not vague or unclear.There is a clean feeling when we respond, and we have hope of being able tochange and walk in a new way to please Him.

Let’s take a look at each verse.“On my bed night after night” refers to the spiritual darkness that now surrounds her.Night seasons are a part of the divine pattern for bringing about maturity and can occur for several reasons.One is as a result of moral failure when we have sinned, and we run from the Lord in shame instead of to Him in repentance.We may experience seasons of trial and difficult circumstances through no fault of our own.He is desiring that we seek Him in these times rather than to give up.Or it may simply be a physical night, when we give up sleep just so we can seek the Lord out of our hunger and desperation to know Him more.There are also seasons when we simply do not feel the Lord’s presence the way we used to and must walk by faith in His Word and His character rather than by trusting in our feelings.Some have called this “the dark night of the soul.

This time she refers to it as “my bed,” no longer “our bed” as in Song 1:16.There is a breach in their relationship.She is alone without Him, on her own bed because she refused to get up and go with Him.She is still a lover of God.She is not a hopeless hypocrite because she is struggling.This season will come to us over and over--we have new mountains to face, but our identity as lovers of God does not change.

“I sought the One I love; I sought Him but did not find Him.“ This was a new experience for her to seek Him without finding Him.She is earnestly seeking Him on her own bed, in her own way using all the proven spiritual principles that have worked in the past, such as prayer, meditation, fasting, and worship, but they are not working this time.It is easy to give up in this season, to give up our vision of being lovers of God.All of us experience these times, so do not give up.However, spiritual disciplines are not a substitute for obedience.When you struggle to experience God’s presence using prayer, meditation, or worship, consider whether the Lord is seeking a specific response from you.Jesus withholds His presence from the maiden until she comes to Him in obedience.He wants her to discover that the only safe place for her is rising up in partnership with Him.

“I will arise now and go about the city.”We do not know how much time passes between verses one and two, a day, a week, a month, a year, or more. However, the disappointment of losing His presence motivates her to rise off her bed and leave the comfort zone.She adds obedience to her prayers.Our fears will only be conquered as we take the first steps to obey.It is our inheritance to be free from the fear that binds us.

The only way we keep ground in our walk with the Lord is by taking new ground.There is no static place in God.We are either moving forward or backward. The only way to maintain passion is by increasing, by seeking more.

She did specifically what He asked her to do.We cannot just read the latest book or watch others to find out what God is doing in our lives.He gives each of us a tailor-made walk with Him, sharing common principles with the lives of others, but unique to each of us.We cannot just copy others.We must find God in our own personal way.

Going to the city speaks of involvement with others rather than remaining in isolation.The corporate church is called the “city of God” in Hebrews 12:22-23.The “city” also speaks of the purposes of God in Hebrews 11:10.

“In the streets and in the squares” refers to very public places, where people work, talk, and interact.This is a place of greater risk where we feel more vulnerable and less protected, but this is where Jesus is in this season.Harm could come to her here, in the form of rejection, criticism, and pain.People ministering to others will experience these things.Hurting people hurt others.

“I must seek Him whom my soul loves.I sought Him, but did not find Him.”She continues to seek Him regardless of the immediate results.She is motivated by love and will not give up. God rewards this tenacity, He rewards those who diligently seek Him according to Hebrews 11:6.We must be committed to seeking God for the long haul, for all our lives.The reward is very great.

“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, and I said, ‘Have you seen Him whom my soul loves?’”“The watchmen” speaks of the spiritual leaders of the church.The watchmen were responsible to oversee the affairs of the city and to watch so it would not be attacked by enemies.The watchmen were doing their job, and they noticed she was troubled.She will have to interact with the shepherds and the watchmen before she finds Him.The young maiden humbles herself and asks for their help.This recognition of her need for help from others is new.

She wants leaders who trulyknow the Lord.Fellowship with godly people who are experienced in the grace of God is valuable to everyone.We will need the help of others as we face common enemies such as isolation, legalism, loss of perspective, impatience, bitterness, or defensiveness.We were not meant to walk alone.

“Scarcely had I left them when I found Him whom my soul loves.”The Lord suddenly renews His presence in response to her obedience.She finds Jesus immediately after her encounter with the city, which is the church, and with the watchmen, those inspiritual authority.He is not far off from those who persevere in humility.The blessing of God returns quickly because of her new depth of obedience and humility.He will not refuse such focused longing from His Bride.He loves it!

“I held on to Him and would not let Him go.”The maiden embraces Jesus in a new way.She holds on to Him with new zeal and conviction.He knew this struggle would ignite a deep fire in her heart.This tender embrace was God’s main purpose in withholding His presence.She does not let go of Him throughout the rest of the Song.

She has discovered that she could lose His presence so now she has a new carefulness in her walk as an expression of her gratitude and desperation.She is deeply resolved to never again consciously compromise her walk with the “little foxes” that destroy her life in the deeper things of God.Often this means simply not wasting our time.We need to walk at a marathon pace, balanced in our lives, yet always pursuing more of God.

Along with her new resolution and carefulness in her walk with the Lord, she has a new holy violence that causes her to abandon herself without holding back in order to go deeper with Jesus.Jacob is an example of someone who was in trouble in a night season as he faced his fears.In Genesis 32:26, he wrestled with God and refused to give up until he received God’s blessing.It delights God when we wrestle with Him, especially in asking Him to enlarge our hearts in love for Jesus.As we seek Him earnestly, His passionate affection for us is released.If we say, “I will not let go of You until I experience this fascination, this passion for Jesus,” your prayer will be answered.We do not have to live spiritually bored.

“Until I had brought Him to my mother’s house, and into the room of her who conceived me.”The mother is a picture of the church, the corporate church of professing believers.She is now bringing Jesus into her mother’s chambers to share the intimate things of her life with others.When we open our hearts to Jesus, we will be able to minister in love effectively to others.They will open their hearts to us in trust because they will see the Lord’s work in our own hearts.

Her obedience extends to the most difficult places, even the familiar family relationships.Often it is hard to love and serve those closest to us, but this is where we must begin.It is the truest proving ground for our love for the Lord, to show love and a true heart of service to those we live with and work with each day.

“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, that you will not arouse or awaken my love until she pleases.”This is the same protection given to her in Song 2:7.“The gazelles or does” are easily disturbed.Jesus is telling others not to disrupt her in this season.The Lord has every one of us on a course that is tailor-made for us, for who we are and where we are going.We need to be discerning and gentle, using care and grace, in relating to people in the different seasons of God’s dealings.Offering pat answers or religious phrases is not helpful.Judging and being critical only adds difficulty for others in a night season.We simply need to be sensitive and to encourage one another to persevere until we press through and find that presence we love so dearly.

Summary | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Index

Home
Our Vision
Our Testimony
Faith Statement
Introducing...
Covenant Marriage
Kingdom Connections
Individually Fashioned
Isaiah 54 Company
Song of Songs
About Women
Ordination
Events
Contact
Links